Advisors

1. Steve Crocker

   Internet Architect

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   Steve Crocker

   Internet Architect

   Dr. Crocker is CEO and co-founder of Shinkuro, Inc., an Internet research and development company building tools for cooperation and collaboration across the Internet and government sponsored projects in Internet security.  He served as chair of the ICANN Board of Directors from 2011 to 2017. Dr. Crocker has been inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame, commemorating his involvement in the inception of the Internet.

   Dr. Crocker has been involved in the Internet since its inception.  In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, while he was a graduate student at UCLA, he was part of the team that developed the protocols for the Arpanet and laid the foundation for today’s Internet.  He organized the Network Working Group, which was the forerunner of the modern Internet Engineering Task Force, initiated the Request for Comment (RFC) series of notes through which protocol designs are documented and shared, and laid the foundation for the open architectural structure of the Internet Protocols.  For this work, Dr. Crocker was awarded the 2002 IEEE Internet Award.  He remained active in the Internet standards work through the IETF and IAB and served as the first security area director on the Internet Engineering Steering Group from 1989 to 1994.  In 2012 he was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame.

   Dr. Crocker’s experience includes research management at DARPA, USC/ISI and The Aerospace Corporation, vice president of Trusted Information Systems, and co-founder of CyberCash, Inc. and Longitude Systems, Inc.

   Dr. Crocker earned his BA in Math and PhD in computer science at UCLA, and studied artificial intelligence at MIT.  He has an honorary doctorate from the University of San Martin des Porres in Lima, Perú.

2. Bernard Stolar

   Gaming

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   Bernard Stolar

   Gaming

   In loving memory. 1946 – 2022

    

   Bernie Stolar has been a leader in the interactive and video game industry for over 40 years. As EVP of Sony with a small team, Stolar was responsible for the launch of the original PlayStation. Later as President of Sega of America, he headed the team in the introduction of Dreamcast, the most successful commercial console launch in gaming industry history. Stolar subsequently went to Mattel where he was President of Mattel Interactive and The Learning Company. Bernie has proven himself to be a master of strategic direction. In a role created by Google to tap Bernie’s unique talents, he became their “Games Evangelist,” responsible for all video game development and introduced “in-game advertising.” Google created this role for him after the acquisition of his Company, Adscape Media. Along the way Bernard followed Siegel and served as Atari’s president and held countless other game industry positions and awards. Bernie was eager to get involved in this groundbreaking and unique blockchain game venture with old friends and associates.

3. Dooma Wendschuh

   Gaming

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   Dooma Wendschuh

   Gaming
4. Brian Weissman

   Gaming

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   Brian Weissman

   Gaming

   Brian co-founded Grinding Gear Games and guided their flagship and award winning game: Path of Exile.  Path of Exile was acquired by Tencent in 2018.

   Brian is also a former Magic Pro Player. From mid 1994 to 1999, Weissman was among the most recognized and respected professional players of Magic: The Gathering and he appeared on ESPN 2 to provide play by play commentary for a number of Pro Tour top 8 and World Championships broadcasts.

5. Michael Haller

   Gaming

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   Michael Haller

   Gaming

   Michael Haller entered the video game business at the advent of 3D gaming as Board Member and Vice President of THQ as part of its turnaround.  Charged with producing games for the new consoles, PlayStation and Xbox, he designed the WCW and later WWE wrestling games that propelled THQ to the upper ranks of game publishers.  Haller’s games won two Fighting Game of the Year awards and was nominated for the overall Game of the Year.  After eight high growth years, Haller joined Electronic Arts as VP and Group General Manager of DreamWorks Interactive and EA Japan.  Under his guidance, the DreamWorks studio created the legendary MEDAL OF HONOR games that set the standard for war games.  And he designed the first installment of EA’s DEF JAM VENDETTA franchise.

   Before entering the game business, he was a key part of the Kodansha team that pioneered the anime boom throughout the world with their AKIRA and GHOST IN THE SHELL franchises.  Haller has adapted over 300 anime titles, including writing and producing the English version of AKIRA. Haller is a Japanophile, having served ten years in the US Embassy in Tokyo, most notably as the Cultural Attaché.  He is also a published author in Japan with his CARNAGE ASADA and STARZAN novels.

6. Frank Ballouz

   Gaming

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   Frank Ballouz

   Gaming

   Frank Ballouz has been an integral part of and a strong contributing factor to the amusement gaming industry soon after it broke ground and blossomed forth in the 1970”s.  Starting in 1975 as the National Sales & Marketing Manager for the now iconic Atari Corporation in California, Mr. Ballouz over saw an eight-year increase in volume and sales from $14 million to $450 million. He was then hired as the Vice President & Director of Nintendo of America’s Coin-op Division where he conceptualized and implanted overseas marketing and distribution and established the company’s first overseas office.

   In 1988 he founded FABTEK, Inc which created, developed and distributed Japanese amusement product in the US, Europe, South America.  During this time he established the consumer and coin-op divisions as Irem of America for Irem a Japanese company. He also created and marketed both coin-op and consumer products as a Nintendo licensee.
   In 1994 Mr. Ballouz became Senior Vice President of Capcom of America, another Japanese company looking to expand further into the US market where he directed sales and marketing strategies and oversaw the growing distribution of the coin-op video games.  1995 he was reunited with Nolan Bushnell, to help shape the design and development of Bushnell’s new company, Playnet.  To that end, Mr. Ballouz traveled extensively all over the world,  In 1998 he was enticed by Namco Europe to move to London and become the Director of International Sales & Marketing.  He oversaw design, development and sales strategies for Europe, Middle East, Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

   Since then because of his exceptional experience in sales and marketing, his long term expertise in various international markets and his familiarity and friendships with so many in the amusement gaming industry, he has been in much demand.  He has worked as vice president, director, advisor, consultant and marketing manager of multiple US and International companies including Merit Industries, Par Chevalier Gaming.  At one time, Mr. Ballouz was handling the international sales for five different companies Global VR, Benchmark Industries, Skeeball Inc, Adrenaline Amusements and Wahlap Technologies  of China establishing their original US office.  Currently, he is assisting Adrenaline Amusements  with their international sales outside of North and South America.

   Mr. Ballouz has had over 45 years of experience in the amusement gaming industry and is highly regarded both personally and professionally.

7. Germaine Gioia

   Gaming

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   Germaine Gioia

   Gaming

   Germaine Gioia and Playlife Company work with premier content holders, experienced digital game and technology developers, and proven manufacturers and distributors, connecting them and creating strategies that maximize their potential in the on and offline worlds.

   Playlife focuses on creating branded console, PC, and mobile games, as well as developing licensed merchandise across categories, and delivering global distribution solutions – enabling consumers to play what they love in life.

   Playlife has a long history of introducing proven interactive developers with relevant, top-tier brands to facilitate innovative, license-driven content.

   The company represents a variety of preeminent properties, digital developers, manufacturers, and distribution platform solutions, including Dorna Sports’ MotoGP; Play Mechanix’ Big Buck Hunter; Masked Republic’s roster of esteemed Mexican luchadores, and related content; the diverse talent and fast growing league of Major League Wrestling (MLW); Chuck Norris; blockchain-based technology and metaverse platform, Virtua; globally distributed KESS Co. and Blacklist board games, outdoor toys and puzzles; Fanroll premium gaming dice; limited edition NERDS Clothing; and more.

   Germaine has made her career in the interactive and licensing space, identifying lifestyle trends — in film, TV, sports, toys, and fashion — and then negotiating and overseeing their evolution across game and merchandise platforms.  Prior to founding Playlife, Germaine headed business development and licensing efforts for global game publishers THQ and Capcom Entertainment, securing premier properties from Lucasfilm, Disney/Pixar, Warner Bros., Sony Pictures, Sanrio, Saban, the WWE, MotoGP, NFL, MLB, NBA, Nickelodeon, Marvel, and others for development in the interactive space. She also led merchandising partnerships for THQ and Capcom’s broad portfolio of renowned original content.

   Germaine holds a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University.

   Member of Women in Games International; Women in Toys (WIT); Licensing International (formerly LIMA).

8. Stephen Hands

   Gaming

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   Stephen Hands

   Gaming

   Stephen has been passionate about video games for over 40 years, since he was placed in front of Space Invaders with a pile of coins and a bottle of coke. Over the last two decades, Stephen has contributed significantly to the Games Based Learning and Serious Games sectors. Armed with a unique perspective of video games he has developed a range of games for educational purposes, aimed particularly at those from marginalised communities as well as the health and wellbeing sectors.

   More recently, Stephen has worked with national charities, NHS trusts and the medical field generally, to enrich learning and engagement through the use of a wide range of interactive technologies.

   He regularly advises a range of government and national organisations to utilise emerging technologies to expand the possibilities of learning.

   He has used his experience, knowledge and creativity to support games developers improve their products, locate talent throughout the sector and produce games for new platforms.

   In addition, Stephen is well versed in online, VR & AR technologies, he uses this knowledge to support internal and external opportunities.

   Stephen lives with his wife and two dogs on the South East coast of the United Kingdom and enjoys playing a wide range of games and owns far too much LEGO for an adult.

    

9. Kirk Furniss

   Audio

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   Kirk Furniss

   Audio

   Kirk Furniss is an Emmy-nominated multiple award winning Sound EFX designer and  Music Producer, operating out of Vancouver BC, Canada. He has been producing SFX for over  20 years on some of the most successful children’s shows of the time , including Reboot,  Beast Machines, My Little Pony, Barbie, Hot Wheels,Carmen San Diego, Johnny Test, and  many others. ‘Capt Kirk’ has worked on music with artists as diverse as Steven Segal, to the  Irish Rovers, Buddy Miles, to John Riechsman, Carol Burnett to Craig Smart, Randy Bachman  to David Usher. Mr. Furniss is also the chief product designer and director of FKN Inc, a  Canadian beverage company.

10. Yida Gao

    Blockchain

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    Yida Gao

    Blockchain

    Yida Gao (Forbes 30 Under 30) founded Shima Capital, an early stage VC firm investing in disruptive crypto and Web3 companies. The fund is backed by Dragonfly Capital, Digital Currency Group, Tiger Global and other strategics (e.g. Huobi, ByBit, OKex, Animoca, Republic). Shima works closely with its founders to hire talent, build community/product, fundraise, and amplify their narratives. Yida formerly worked as a technology investor at NEA, a $25Bn+ AUM VC, and M&A banker at Morgan Stanley. He graduated from MIT (math/cs) and dropped out of Stanford GSB. He teaches the 15.492:Crypto Finance course every spring semester at MIT.

11. Peter Wong

    Blockchain

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    Peter Wong

    Blockchain

    Peter started with a formal education in econometrics, before entering the nascent blockchain space in 2011. As his experience grew, so did his passion for the industry. From his involvement in early development to his current roles in web3 and DeFi, he has experienced many corners of the cryptoverse. He is a founding member in Fungweiss DAO, advisor to various DLT protocols, venture capital funds, and development groups. He has a curated approach to building and maintaining relationships and has been an essential part in raising capital for new and existing projects.

12. Julian Jordan

    Blockchain

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    Julian Jordan

    Blockchain

    Co-founder of VersoView and serial entrepreneur, Julian has been in the digital space for
    over 28 years, having founded Fish, one of the UKs first web and multimedia agencies in
    1993, Julian went on to work with Viacom on the development of Blockbuster Video’s instore,
    internet linked, touch-screen kiosks and their first pan-European web presence, as
    well as supporting Sky TV and NDS Group with their internet development.
    Julian has operated offices across three continents over the past 30 years and is an
    entrepreneur with a track record of success. Founding and leading several organizations,
    he has built a career on being able to identify and capitalize on opportunities.
    Julian has a passion for real world blockchain applications, and he contributes significantly
    across levels of each business with blue sky thinking.

13. Alex Moody

    Blockchain

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    Alex Moody

    Blockchain

    As a managing member of FungWeiss DAO, and COO of VersoView, Alex is deeply connected to the blockchain industry. With an entrepreneurial career spanning two decades and a passion for blockchain-based solutions, Alex bridges the divide between traditional corporate enterprise and the nascent blockchain community. Alex has scaled successful businesses with dozens of brands sold across several continents. Alex evaluates macro economic trends, identifies product and market opportunities and develops new and innovative brands.

14. Samuel Reid

    Blockchain

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    Samuel Reid

    Blockchain

    Sam is the CEO and co-founder of GEC and of XI Protocol, a mathematician, and
    advanced technology entrepreneur. Driven by a commitment to innovation, Samuel takes
    pride in disrupting stagnate paradigms and providing not only a progressive vision for
    a better future, but also the tangible technology to get there. He also founded and is
    CEO of wholly-owned subsidiaries GeometricLabs, Geometric Medical, Geometric Space,
    and Geometric Gaming. Sam serves as Senior Mathematician and Technologist of Kepler
    Aerospace, and on the Signature Technology Consultation Committee of the Canadian
    Space Agency.

15. Todd Levering

    Blockchain

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    Todd Levering

    Blockchain

    Todd is a serial Entrepreneur with over 25 years of diversified business experience both
    owning and developing winning companies. In 2012 he shifted his focus from traditional
    business to the blockchain space and has been involved with connecting strategic
    partners and building world class teams. Todd enjoys networking and specializes in
    connecting key people to the perfect opportunity.

16. Ian Friend

    Blockchain

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    Ian Friend

    Blockchain